Combination of ceiling fan and light unit

ABSTRACT

A ceiling fan includes a bottom hood with a tube which has a passage defined axially therethrough and a fixing device is connected to the tube and includes a compartment in which a first connection member is received. A first end of the first connection member extends through a radial through hole in the tube and enters the passage. A first pushing member biases the first connection member away from the tube. A light unit has a connection protrusion which extends through the bottom hood and is inserted into the tube. A second connection member is connected to the connection protrusion and is engaged with the first end of the first connection member to combine the ceiling fan and the light unit.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a combination of ceiling fan and lightunit and more particularly, to a quick engaging device for connectingthe ceiling fan and the light assembly within a short period of time.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A conventional combination of a ceiling fan 7 and a light unit 8,wherein the ceiling fan 7 includes a wire connection disk 65 extendingfrom an underside thereof and a bottom hood 6 is connected to theceiling fan 7 so as to accommodate the wire connection disk 65 in thebottom hood 6. A tube 61 extends from a top of the hood 6 and includes apassage 62 defined axially through the tube 61. Two L-shaped grooves 63are defined in an inner periphery of the passage 62 and each groove 63is composed of a vertical groove and a horizontal groove. The light unit8 includes a connection protrusion 81 which has two pins 82 extendingradially therefrom and the connection protrusion 81 is inserted in thepassage 62 and the two pins 82 are engaged with the two L-shaped grooves63 by rotating the connection protrusion 81. A biasing member 64 pushesthe wire connection disk 65 downward so as to electrically contact theterminal end 811 on the connection protrusion 81. However, the L-shapedgrooves 63 are located at lower position so that when the light unit 8is connected to the ceiling fan 7, there will be a visible seam atoutside of the combination. Dust and insets could enter the connectionarea between the bottom hood 6 and the light unit 8.

The present invention intends to provide a quick engaging device foreasily and conveniently connecting the ceiling fan and the light unitwithout a visible seam.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a combination of ceiling fan and alight unit, wherein the ceiling fan comprises a bottom hood with a tubeextending upward from a top thereof and a passage is defined axiallythrough the tube. A fixing device is connected to the tube and has acompartment for receiving a first connection member therein. A first endof the first connection member extends through a radial through hole ofthe tube and enters the passage. A first pushing member biases the firstconnection member away from the tube. The light unit has a connectionprotrusion which extends through the bottom hood and is inserted intothe tube. A second connection member is connected to the connectionprotrusion and engaged with the first end of the first connectionmember.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a quickconnection device that provides a convenient way to combine the lightunit and the ceiling fan without an obvious seam therebetween.

The present invention will become more obvious from the followingdescription when taken in connection with the accompanying drawingswhich show, for purposes of illustration only, a preferred embodiment inaccordance with the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a cross sectional view to show the combination of the ceilingfan and the light unit of the present invention;

FIG. 2 shows that the light unit is to be connected with the ceiling fanof the present invention;

FIG. 3 is an exploded view to show the fixing device for connecting theceiling fan and the light unit of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view to show the engagement of the first end ofthe first connection member and second connection member on theconnection protrusion;

FIG. 5 shows the first connection member is disengaged from the secondconnection member on the connection protrusion by pushing the stopmember upward;

FIG. 6 shows another embodiment of the fixing device;

FIG. 7 shows the connection of the ceiling fan and the light unit of theembodiment in FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 shows a conventional combination of ceiling fan and light unit,and

FIG. 9 shows an exploded view of the conventional combination of ceilingfan and light unit.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 4, the ceiling fan of the present inventioncomprises a bottom hood 1 which has a hollow tube 11 extending upwardfrom a top thereof and a passage 13 is defined axially through the tube11. A groove 14 is defined axially in an inner periphery of the passage13 and a through hole 15 is defined radially through the tube 11. Afixing device 2 is connected to the tube 11 and includes a firstcompartment 21 and a second compartment 22 which is in communicationwith the first compartment 21. A Z-shaped first connection member 23 isreceived in the first compartment 21 and a first end of the firstconnection member 23 extends through the through hole 15 and enters thepassage 13. A rack including a plurality of teeth 231 are defined in thefirst end of the first connection member 23 and a first pushing member27 is located raidally relative to the tube 11 so as to push the firstconnection member 23 toward the stop member 25. An inclined guidesurface 232 is defined in a top surface thereof. A stop member 25 isreceived in the second compartment 22 and a second pushing member 24 islocated axially on a top of the stop member 25 to push the stop member25 at a lower position where a second end of the first connection member23 is stopped by the stop member 25. The stop member 25 includes a shank251 which extends through a hole 26 defined through the bottom hood 1.

A light unit 3 has a connection protrusion 31 which extends through thebottom hood 1 and is inserted into the tube 11. A second connectionmember 33 is connected to the connection protrusion 31 and has a secondconnection member 33 connected thereto which is inserted in the groove14 in the tube 11. The second connection member 33 is engaged with theteeth 231 of the first end of the first connection member 23 to combinethe ceiling fan and the light unit 3. A length of the second connectionmember 33 is longer than that of the teeth of the first end of the firstconnection member 23 so that the distance between the light unit 3 andthe ceiling fan can be decided by engaging the teeth 231 with the secondconnection member 33 at different positions.

As shown in FIG. 5, when disengaging the ceiling fan and the light unit3, the user simply pushes the shank 251 upward to remove the large blockend of the stop member 25 from the second end of the first connectionmember 23, the first connection member 23 is pushed by the first pushingmember 27 to disengage the teeth 231 from the second connection member33. The spring force of the second pushing member 24 is larger than thatof the first pushing member 27 so that when releasing the stop member25, the large block end of the stop member 25 moves over the inclinedguide surface 232 and pushes the first connection member 23 toward thetube 11.

FIGS. 6 and 7 show another embodiment of the combination wherein thefixing device 51 includes a chamber 52 in which a third connectionmember 53 is received. A first end of the third connection member 53extends through the tube and enters the passage 56 of the tube, and asecond end of the third connection member 53 is a pull rod 54 whichextends through a hole defined through a wall of the bottom hood 5. Abiasing member 55 is mounted to the pull rod 54 and located radiallyrelative to the tube so as to bias the third connection member 53 towardthe tube. The third connection member 53 includes teeth so as to beengaged with the second connection member on the connection protrusion31. The user may pull the pull rod 54 to disengage the teeth on thethird connection member 53 from the second connection member on theconnection protrusion 31.

While we have shown and described the embodiment in accordance with thepresent invention, it should be clear to those skilled in the art thatfurther embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of thepresent invention.

1. A combination of ceiling fan and a light unit, wherein the ceilingfan comprises a bottom hood having a tube extending upward from a topthereof and a passage is defined axially through the tube, a groove isdefined axially in an inner periphery of the passage and a through holeis defined radially through the tube; a fixing device is connected tothe tube and has at least one compartment in which a first connectionmember is received, a first end of the first connection member extendsthrough the through hole and enters the passage, a first pushing memberbiasing the first connection member, and the light unit has a connectionprotrusion which extends through the bottom hood and is inserted intothe tube, a second connection member is connected to the connectionprotrusion and engaged with the first end of the first connectionmember.
 2. The combination as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fixingdevice includes a first compartment and a second compartment which is incommunication with the first compartment, the first connection member isreceived in the first compartment and includes an inclined guidesurface, a stop member is received in the second compartment and asecond pushing member located on a top of the stop member to push thestop member at a lower position where a second end of the firstconnection member is stopped by the stop member.
 3. The combination asclaimed in claim 2, wherein a length of the second connection member islonger than that of the first end of the first connection member.
 4. Thecombination as claimed in claim 2, wherein a rack is connected to thefirst end of the first connection member.
 5. The combination as claimedin claim 2, wherein the stop member includes a shank which extendsthrough a hole defined through the bottom hood.
 6. The combination asclaimed in claim 2, wherein the first pushing member is located in anaxial direction of the stop member so as to push the stop memberdownwardly, the second pushing member is located raidally relative tothe tube so as to push the first connection member toward the stopmember.
 7. The combination as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fixingdevice includes a chamber in which a second connection member isreceived, a first end of the second connection member extends throughthe tube and enters the passage of the tube, a second end of the secondconnection member is a pull rod which extends through a wall of thebottom hood, a biasing member is mounted to the pull rod.
 8. Thecombination as claimed in claim 7, wherein the biasing member is locatedradially relative to the tube and biases the second connection membertoward the tube.
 9. The combination as claimed in claim 7, wherein thepull rod extends through a hole defined through the wall of the bottomhood.